What is the International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS)?
• IRIS is a global initiative that is designed to promote ethical
international labour recruitment.
• It has been created by IOM and a coalition of partners from
government, civil society and the private sector.
• In practical terms, IRIS is about identifying and supporting
ethical labour recruiters. It does this by:
◦ Defining and setting a benchmark for ethical
recruitment – ‘the IRIS Standard’,
◦ Establishing a voluntary certification process for
international labour recruiters, which includes
creating a list of ‘IRIS certified labour recruiters’ to
help employers and workers make more informed
decisions about recruitment, and
◦ Ensuring that the IRIS Standard is being maintained
by certified recruiters through a monitoring and
compliance mechanism.
• The goal of IRIS is to transform the international
recruitment industry to make it fair for workers, recruiters
and employers. It does this by:
◦ Promoting the Employer Pays Principle,
◦ Promoting greater transparency within international
recruitment, and
◦ Promoting the rights of migrant workers.
• IRIS has undergone significant pilot testing. This includes
testing:
◦ The IRIS Standard to ensure that it is set at the
right level (i.e. it’s not too easy or impossible for
stakeholders, especially recruiters, to follow),
◦ The IRIS audit framework and methodology to ensure
that it is credible, feasible and robust, and
◦ The overall IRIS certification model to ensure that it
is a smooth and logical process.
• IRIS certification was launched in selected countries in
December 2018 and will be slowly introduced to new
locations in the coming years.
• In the meantime, IOM is rolling out a capacity building
programme for labour recruiters which includes a two-day
training program to introduce them to the IRIS Standard,
management systems and IRIS certification. For more
information please refer to the factsheet on IRIS capacity
building.
• IRIS complements IOM’s broader efforts to promote
ethical recruitment and safe and legal labour migration,
as well as combat forced labour and modern-day slavery.
• IRIS is closely linked to IOM’s Corporate Responsibility in
Eliminating Slavery and Trafficking (CREST) initiative.
• In particular, the tools developed by IRIS will be used to
support capacity building efforts, such as training for
recruiters, suppliers and employers, and labour supply
chain mapping.
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Factsheet 1:
Overview of IRIS
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Who are your key partners?
• Since its inception, IOM works with a variety of stakeholders to
create demand for ethical recruitment and IRIS.
◦ These include the Leadership Group for Responsible
Recruitment (LGRR), the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF),
International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and other industry
associations.
• Similarly, IOM works closely with stakeholders who have similar
initiatives to ensure complementarity and a consistent approach.
◦ These include Social Accountability International (SAI),
Clearview, the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI),
ISEAL, the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), the Fair
Labour Association.
• Within the UN system, IOM and ILO are working together to
promote ethical recruitment.
◦ In particular, the ILO has established the policy framework
for ethical recruitment through its Fair Recruitment Initiative
and General principles and operational guidelines for fair
recruitment,
◦ While IOM is working on the more operational aspects of
ethical recruitment through the IRIS and CREST initiatives.
• IOM is also working with a team of certification specialists and social
compliance professionals on the more technical aspects of IRIS –
such as building the certification system and IRIS training programs.
◦ These include Social Accountability Accreditation Services
(SAAS) and the British Standards Institution (BSI).
Why was IRIS created?
• The exploitation of migrant workers often
begins at the recruitment stage when
workers are charged recruitment fees and
costs or misled about the job on offer.
• According to the latest global estimates of
modern slavery, around 25 million people are
victims of forced labour globally – with about
half of all victims in debt-bondage.
• When it comes to combatting modern
slavery, many interventions focus on the
employment stage – such as how workers
are treated in the factory or farm setting.
• While these interventions are important,
they often come too late when it comes
to tackling unethical recruitment and its
consequences.
• International recruitment often remains
a gray area due to the lack of a standard
definition of ethical recruitment, as well as
inconsistencies and gaps in how international
recruitment is regulated.
• It is for these reasons that IOM and a
coalition of likeminded stakeholders decided
to develop IRIS.
• At the global level, IRIS has been funded
by the Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation (SDC).
Factsheet 1 : OVERVIEW OF IRIS
THE IRIS STANDARD
What is ethical recruitment?
• To put it simply, ethical recruitment means hiring
workers lawfully, and in a fair and transparent manner
that respects their dignity and human rights.
• The IRIS Standard explains what ethical recruitment
means in practice, and what labour recruiters need
to demonstrate to become IRIS certified.
• The IRIS Standard consists of seven core principles
for ethical recruitment:
◦ Respect for Laws, Fundamental Principles and
Rights at Work
◦ Respect for Ethical and Professional Conduct
◦ Prohibition of Recruitment Fees to Jobseekers
◦ Respect for Freedom of Movement
◦ Respect for Transparency of Terms and
Conditions of Employment
◦ Respect for Confidentiality and Data Protection
◦ Respect for Access to Remedy
• The IRIS Standard was developed in consultation with
a wide range of stakeholders.
• It is based on existing international human rights
instruments, ILO Conventions and standards, ILO’s
General principles and operational guidelines for
fair recruitment, the UN Guiding Principles on
Business and Human Rights, as well as related codes
of conducts and best practice from the recruitment
industry, including World Employment Confederation
Code of Conduct.
What is the Employer Pays Principle and will it cost more?
• The Employer Pays Principle is considered best practice
and is endorsed and promoted by the Leadership Group for
Responsible Recruitment, industry groups and increasing
number of governments.
• As the name suggests, under this model the worker
does not pay any fees or costs for their recruitment and
deployment – rather these costs are covered by the
employer (company).
• While this model may initially appear to be a more
expensive option for companies and recruiters, it needs
to be considered within the context of risk management
and can prove to be more cost efficient in the long-term.
• For example, if an unethical recruitment agency provides
a worker that is not suitable for the company, then there
will be additional costs for the company in repatriating the
worker, recruiting a replacement worker, and possibly even
fines if there has been any legal non-compliance.
What are recruitment fees?
• Recruitment fees or related costs refer to any fees or costs
incurred in the recruitment process in order for workers to
secure employment or placement, regardless of the manner,
timing or location of their imposition or collection.
• This includes medical and insurance costs; skills and
qualifications tests costs; training and orientation costs;
equipment costs; travel and lodging costs, and any
administrative costs or overhead fees associated with job
placement.
• Recruitment fees include costs that are paid in money or
property, deductions from wages or benefits, kickbacks or
bribes, and in-kind payments such as free labour.
• IRIS’s position on recruitment fees and costs is consistent
with the ILO’s Definition of recruitment fees and related
costs
Factsheet 1 : OVERVIEW OF IRIS 3
How will IRIS certification work?
• IRIS certification is voluntary and only available to private
recruitment agencies that send workers overseas.
• To become an ‘IRIS certified labour recruiter,’ applicants
(recruiters) will need to demonstrate that they meet the
requirements of the IRIS Standard.
• The IRIS certification model is based on similar global
certification schemes and includes a series of checks and
balances to ensure the scheme is credible and robust.
• Please refer to the factsheet on IRIS certification for more
information.
Pilot testing the IRIS Standard
• The IRIS Standard was developed af ter extensive
consultation with government, civil society and private
sector stakeholders.
• It was then pilot tested to ensure its fit for purpose in
different geographical, jurisdictional and sectoral contexts.
• This included testing the Standard against the needs of
recruiters and employers.
• This occurred as part of IOM’s broader labour supply chain
mapping projects with companies that were interested in
learning more about how workers are recruited within
their supply chain.
Testing the IRIS Certification System
• In partnership with Social Accountability Accreditation
Services and selected audit companies, IOM has been
testing the feasibility and applicability of all components
of the certification system.
◦ This has taken place primarily in the Philippines and
Nepal in 2018.
How will IRIS be rolled out?
• Following the launch of IRIS certification in December
2018, IRIS is being rolled out gradually through pilot
projects in selected countries.
◦ This includes in the Philippines and the two Canadian
provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, where IRIS
launched its first government to government pilot
project.
◦ The first stage of the IRIS roll-out will focus on assisting
committed recruiters with building their capacity to
meet the requirements of the IRIS Standard.
◦ This will be followed by an IRIS assessment with the
aim of certification.
◦ Please refer to the factsheet on IRIS capacity building
for more information.
• During the roll out, IRIS will collaborate with similar
initiatives promoting ethical recruitment such as ILO’s
Fair Recruitment Initiatives, Responsible Labour Initiative
of RBA , and the Leadership Group for Responsible
Recruitment.
IRIS CERTIFICATION
PILOT TESTING AND ROLLING OUT IRIS
+41 22 717 91 11
+41 22 798 61 50
iris.iom.int
Route des Morillons 17CH-1211, Geneva 19Switzerland
Photos: © IOM.
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